Destitute of Vision
by thatpersonwhoisthatperson
Summary: They are both blinded, in one way or another. Pepperony, post-IM2, dark themes/angsty in parts, slight fluff/slight banter where I deem it appropriate. This will continue!
1. Chapter 1

The disease was one that had run in her family for many years. Or it had as long as she could remember, at least.

There had been telltale signs all throughout the last couple of years, so it wasn't as if Pepper hadn't been expecting it to happen to her as well.

When her mother had been diagnosed, Pepper was thirteen. The doctor, a kind man, had told her and her father a lot of information, almost too much for a young teenager to process. Pepper had always been ahead for her age, however, and was able to understand most of it, and the things she didn't understand she had gotten the basic gist of them.

Unfortunately, she didn't have all the time in the world to ask her beloved mother questions, since her mother passed away the next year due to a surgery malfunction.

When Pepper had gone to her doctor two years ago, she was told she had a high risk of wet AMD, or Age-Related Macular Degeneration. She was approaching her forties – it was bound to happen sooner or later. She was told it was dependent on family history, so she knew it could happen before she reached seniority based partly on her genetics, partly by bad luck.

But she certainly wasn't prepared for it to happen _now_, three weeks before her 38th birthday.

Her eyes had grown weaker, more quickly as of late due to the dry AMD prerequisite, although when she awoke on Thursday morning she found that she couldn't see a thing. Blackness. It terrified her.

Pepper, after several deep breaths, squeezed her eyes shut and thought about possibilities, trying her best not to panic. She'd washed all of her eye makeup off the previous night – plus, she felt herself actually _open_ her eyes, so all assumptions of her eyelashes being stuck together went out the window, so to speak.

Rain pattered heavily on her bedroom window, the curtains drawn tight. Her alarm had gone off and woke her up, so she knew it was five o'clock in the morning and still very much dark outside.

_Am I just overreacting? I didn't even give my eyes time to adjust._

Cautiously, Pepper allowed her eyes to flit open.

She waited thirty seconds. Sixty seconds. Panic started to sink in, a horrible churning feeling in her gut that told her _this isn't normal_.

After counting sixty seconds five times – five minutes – Pepper discerned that something was up. And she didn't like it one bit.

The light from her digital clock was…gone. _Unless there was a power outage_ –

Pepper sighed, and felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Her eyes. What was wrong?

She smacked herself in the head in an attempt to pull herself together. She had to stop kidding herself. She knew.

It happened to her grandfather, it happened to her mother and now it was happening to her, too.

Pepper leaned back against her pillows, willing herself not to break down. It proved very difficult not to do so, especially because she had just discovered the loss of something so trivial as her eyesight. She had always known that total vision loss was at stake, and was a very high risk at that.

No more books. She could deal with that, as she could easily learn braille.

No more work. This one was a little harder to grasp. For years, Pepper's life was centered on her job. It was stability, it was routine. _This_…this was _not_ routine.

But she was going to have to adapt.

She let the panic and defeat swallow her up as she cried, soaking her pillow in her ample tears. Pepper surmised that she was allowed at least _one_ moment of weakness.

The time was unknown to her as she dried her now useless eyes. Her very prompt internal clock, however, was still intact and told her that she should be driving to Tony's place by now in order to begin the day.

Speaking of Tony…how was she supposed to let him know? In a twisted sort of way, she would rather he didn't find out. She couldn't explain it, other than the fact that she didn't want or need any pity. No, she wanted to take care of herself.

But deep down, she knew it didn't – couldn't – work that way. When a person was…blind – and she had yet to grow accustomed to the word – they needed some kind of help. And who would be more willing than Tony?

Pepper knew he'd never leave her, especially now when she needed him most. He'd proven that over the last couple months, the last year even. She only hoped it wouldn't be a burden on him. That she wouldn't be a burden.

And besides, she could always get a dog to help her walk around. Just so she wouldn't look completely helpless and vulnerable clinging to Tony's arm everywhere they went.

Something panged like the sharp and hollow ringing of a knell deep in Pepper's chest. How was her predicament going to affect her and Tony's relationship? As she asked herself this, she couldn't help but note that she had so many questions and so little answers. Cliché, but true. Her mind reeled as she turned back to her original question –

_No. Don't be stupid, Pepper. Tony loves you and has for a long time now. That won't change._ But that didn't mean that _nothing_ would change, she acknowledged. It would change some things, namely her ability to do…well, everything they did as a couple. As for the press…

Pepper groaned. There was _no way_ she was going out in public…yet. Albeit embarrassing to admit this to the world, it would most likely be necessary.

She sighed. _Right. Time to call Tony. _If she could even locate her phone.

Her hands roamed around her as she pushed the sheets off her body, trying to find something she could poke around with. Luckily, she didn't need to find anything of the sort, since her phone lay on the bedside table beside her.

Her pointer hit speed dial one almost automatically, and she listened to the methodical _buzz_ of the rings. Tony picked up on the third one.

"_Pepper? Where in the world are you? I haven't been nagged all morning, one tends to realize the absence of that sort of thing,"_ he joked.

Pepper sat against her headboard and pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling. "Tony…I need you to listen carefully to me and not freak out, okay?"

* * *

><p>When Tony heard her say those words, he immediately went tense. There was a blatantly audible silence before he answered, "Okay."<p>

"_I woke up this morning and…I – I realized that I couldn't…couldn't see."_

The words didn't quite register. Tony breathed a laugh. "Wait, what?"

"_It's part of a disease, it's been in my family for abo –."_

"You can't _see_? How does – how does that work? What happened?"

"_Tony. Let me explain. You said okay, remember?"_ Pepper told him firmly, yet he could hear the shakiness in her voice even through the crackle of the phone line. He nodded, dumbstruck, before realizing that she couldn't exactly see him.

"Uh huh. You were saying?" Tony could tell just by the tone in which Pepper was speaking that he wasn't going to particularly like what he was about to hear.

Then something hit him, hard.

"When you said you couldn't see…you don't mean that you're…that you've gone…_blind_, do you?"

The silence was confirmation enough.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to process and understand this shocking, new information. No, this couldn't happen. Not to Pepper. His Pepper.

Pepper's shaky voice over the phone brought him out of his reverie.

"_Are…are you angry?"_

Tony was taken aback by her comment. "Why would I be angry? It's not your fault. Not at all."

"_Oh. Right, good then."_ She exhaled loudly.

Something told Tony that Pepper was even more uncomfortable with this rather unsettling knowledge than he himself was.

"Pepper…hold on, I'm coming to your place. Okay?" he said softly, already grabbing his keys and sunglasses.

"_Mmhmm…I'll be here,"_ Pepper replied, forcing a laugh.

Tony clicked the end button and snapped his phone shut, and was out the door faster than he could blink.

_To be continued._

**Just a couple of things to note: **

**This should be about 10 – 20 chapters long. Vague, I know. I do hope I get that far. **

**I did research, by the way – Wikipedia said that a **_**very **_**small number of people have total vision loss from wet AMD…and I made it so for the purpose of this story (I used multiple other websites as well). I will continue to research as accurately as I'm able to for the whole fanfiction.**

**I'll try to update regularly. I have other chapters written so we'll see what real life has to say about that. It may take longer for the second chapter because I'm sick right now, and therefore don't feel like doing much of anything right now except healing. :P  
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**More things will be revealed as we go along. I hope you're enjoying it so far and you'll stick with me!**

**And I should mention that one of the genres is angst for a reason. These chapters are mostly angsty, in my opinion - so be forewarned! (Although there will be fluff when I deem it/it is deemed, in my opinion, appropriate, in order for the fic to progress, when they need some cheering up, etc.)  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Iron Man**_** franchise, its characters, scenarios, etc. They belong to their respective owners. I do not intend harm to others and others' feelings with this fic. I own my plot and that's it. (Oh, and I really hope it's not OOC!)**

**Please review? **** Thank you in advance!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

When Tony arrived, Pepper's house was still dark, the only light coming from the sun peeking out over the horizon. Using the spare key he let himself in, found her bedroom and flicked on the light. He was at her side instantaneously.

Pepper blinked when she heard the light switch flick on. The darkness swirled, and it seemed to be in front of her eyes. It reminded her of when she was a little girl, sitting in the car and closing her eyes, seeing the darkness turn to reds and greens in the sunlight. Purple spots appeared here and there now. Truth be told, it made her extremely dizzy.

She felt Tony's hands warm and strong grip her face, tilting it towards him. She sighed, half out of relief to feel Tony next to her and half out of exasperation.

"Of all the things I could've lost, it just had to be my eyesight. It could've been my voice – then I wouldn't have to talk to people I didn't feel like dealing with," she mumbled, figuring she'd try to put Tony at ease a little bit.

Tony didn't laugh as he usually would have, which made Pepper quite uneasy.

He stared directly into her eyes, never diverting his gaze. They weren't a clear, sharp blue anymore – they were slightly hazy, almost like a person with a relatively weak eyeglasses prescription would see something far away. Her beautiful blue eyes were still there, just…shrouded. Tony rubbed the palm of his hand over his forehead multiple times. This was tough to comprehend.

"Tony?"

He leant over to capture her lips in a chaste kiss, forgetting that she couldn't see it coming. Tony found that this didn't hinder her kissing ability at all.

He pulled away, exhaling audibly. Pepper sat quietly, twiddling her thumbs, not knowing what else to say or do. It was unnerving to her; she wasn't used to this. She was used to knowing exactly what to say in situations like this, where Tony was hurt or needed her compassion. It was on the other end of the spectrum this time around.

"Pepper…" Tony began, trying to decide on the right words. "…Honey, loo-." He stopped short instantly, realizing what he had been about to say. Pressing his lips together, he hoped desperately that she wouldn't figure out what he was about to say. _She_ can't_ look at you, idiot,_ he snapped at himself, pressing his lips together tightly.

He tried again. "Things…things won't be different, okay? I can promise you that."

"I know." No. It wasn't going to be that easy, and that Pepper knew. But she kept quiet, lest Tony think she was overreacting – which she was, but – this was hard. She reached up to rub her temples slowly, trying to calm herself down.

Tony pulled her onto his lap on the bed, burying his nose in her hair. "How does this happen? So quickly like that?"

For once, he was totally serious in a conversation. In all the years she had known him, in all the time they had been dating, he'd almost always ended a serious conversation on a lighter note. Not this time. Or perhaps, not yet. She wished that she could see him, look closely at his face. It had become a second nature to read him that way, to see what he was truly feeling. Pepper didn't have this option now, and so she had to rely on her ears.

"Pepper?" Tony asked, starting to get worried that she wasn't immediately responding.

"Huh? Oh, right," she stammered, broken from her train of thought. "Well…it's a disease that affects the macula – it's behind the retina. The doctor always had me look at the medical records. It's been in my family for a while now. Very hereditary."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't…necessary. Nothing had happened yet. I didn't know it would be this soon. After forty or fifty I can understand, but…the doctor said it's very, very rare for this to happen so early. Not to mention completely lose vision like this. Usually it's just a blind spot, which can be easily treated."

"Oh." He sighed, and shifted Pepper so she was lying on her stomach. She put her head down and jumped when her head came in fast contact with the arc reactor.

Tony cursed at himself over and over. He was messing everything up. He was trying to offer comfort and what did he provide? She banged her head on his stupid heart because he wasn't being responsible for her, he wasn't being careful. She needed someone right now more than ever. He couldn't just leave her to go into the workshop, he now realized. Well, he could, but Jarvis would have to watch her closely. He knew she wouldn't like that, wouldn't like that at all, but he couldn't take the chance. This was…bad. Serious. An obstacle…but one that they could get through. At least, he hoped so.

"Here," he murmured, tentatively resting her head down just below the arc, softly caressing the injured area. "I'm sorry. Stupid thing always gets in the way."

"No, Tony, it's fine. You're fine," Pepper told him, fully relaxing against him.

"Do you need to see a doctor or anything?" Tony wondered aloud.

"Yes – thank you for reminding me, I probably wouldn't have bothered," she said, springing up from her position on his chest. "My ophthalmologist isn't too far from here."

"Then I can take you," Tony told her, bringing her back down onto him.

Silence fell between them. Pepper was confused, angry and tired. This wasn't _right_! It wasn't them. They should be talking, laughing, kissing away at each other. It didn't bode well with her, this change. She was never good with change…except when it came to Tony. But that wasn't her point.

_I hate this_, was Pepper's primary thought. _I hate it, I hate it, I hate it._ Tony was wrong – this changed _everything_. A big, gaping hole was now in her life, mocking her openly. What would she look like every day? Tony was going to have to dress her; she wouldn't be able to do anything herself anymore. She _hated_ being taken care of. And she certainly didn't want the pity. The pity…everyone at the office, everyone _everywhere_ would be so frivolous and fake around her. She just wanted things to be normal.

Normality seemed a lost cause.

* * *

><p>Tony led Pepper to his car, one hand on her back to guide her. It was perfectly light out now, and apparent brightness of the sun took Pepper some getting used to.<p>

Tony opened her door, helped her into the seat, but she drew the line at the seat belt. "I think I can find the buckle, Tony," she snapped, most likely glaring. Tony mumbled something in response although she couldn't hear what. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but she was aggravated. _What a lame excuse_, she chided herself.

She crossed her arms over her chest indignantly, acting like a child but not caring in the least.

"What's your doctor's address?" Tony asked.

Pepper told him and laid her head against the seat as Tony directed Jarvis where to go. It was silent as Tony drove.

"So, I was thinking," Tony began after a while, clapping and rubbing his hands together at a stoplight. "You're going to need someone with you all the time. And don't take this the wrong way, because I've wanted this for a while now."

"What are you trying to say, Tony?" Pepper asked quietly. She could feel a headache coming on and all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep for a long time.

"I think you should move in with me."

She paused, contemplating this. "I don't need anyone. I can take care of myself."

"Come on, Pepper."

"What?"

"Wha-? You can't _see_, for crying out loud! I'd hate to see you trip, or bang into a wall, or hurt yourself in any way, so unless you have a Life Alert or something -."

"I have hands and arms that aren't broken! I can feel my way around."

"I'm just saying that I want to be here to help you," he said calmly, taking her hand in his.

"And I'm just saying you never would have asked if this hadn't happened," Pepper accused.

"Did I not just say I've wanted to ask you to move in for a while now? That I've wanted you to move in? I do, you know. I love you so much."

Pepper halted, her words stalled. It wasn't often Tony spoke his feelings aloud. She really wanted to be able to look at him.

She squeezed his hand in response. "I know, I'm sorry. This is hard on me. I love you, too."

"No, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have just sprung that on you like that -."

"No, Tony, you're right. I need someone to watch over me." She said these words with much distaste as Tony pulled the car into the ophthalmologist's office.

He walked her inside to the front desk, and sat down as she gave her name and appointment time to the receptionist. Time ticked on slowly as he waited for her to come back, and when she did the doctor smiled and said, "You're all set, take care."

Pepper thanked him and Tony guided her out to the car once more.

"What did he say?" Tony inquired when they were back on the road.

"Just what I already knew," she said.

"Which is…?"

"What I told you mere hours ago, Tony. Don't tell me you forgot." She narrowed her eyes, half playful and half serious.

"No, I remember, I swear. I didn't know if there was more you knew that I didn't."

"No. I told you everything that needs knowing," she sighed. "He told me to look into getting a dog, too."

Tony laughed as he pulled up into the garage. "We could definitely get you a dog. The really calm, smart ones? Guide dogs? That would help, right?"

Pepper shook her head. "Tony, I don't know if I need the dog."

"Well, obviously your doctor thinks it would help you. It walks around with you! Shows you where thing are. They're highly trained or something like that," Tony said as he helped her out of the car.

"Alright, I'll think about it, how about that?" she laughed. She found that she could recognize where they were by the sounds and smells. The workshop was easy; the bedroom and the living room would come even easier. The kitchen wouldn't be hard to locate, either.

"Okay, let's see…Pep, hop on my back," Tony said, guiding Pepper behind him.

"What? And what if I miss, end up sprawled on the floor? It'll be your fault, you know," she replied, wagging her finger at him. Now this was more like it.

"I've got you in position. Just gather some energy and hop up! A much easier way to travel, hmm?" His tone had a mock seriousness in it, and she laughed freely for the first time in a while.

"Okay…" she said, still doubting, but she hoisted herself onto Tony's back nonetheless.

"Good lord," she muttered as Tony ascended the stairs. "I feel like a little kid again."

"Having fun, are we?" Tony asked, his voice strained. "You're not as light as you look, you know."

Pepper thwacked his shoulder playfully. "Oh, come on, you're doing great. I've got to weigh less than that heavy metal you support on your body all the time."

"Very true," Tony mused, and plopped her down on the couch. "Want some ice cream?"

"Please," she said, grabbing the throw from off the back of the couch and huddled it around her body.

Despite how happy she'd become earlier in the day, by evening Pepper felt that same helpless feeling. Tony and her had watched TV, and it made Pepper rather nostalgic and…sad to hear the words "see" and "look" appear so often in conversation. She didn't know what was wrong. One minute she and Tony had been their banter-filled selves and now, she found herself quiet and feeble. The same she had felt this morning.

That long sleep sounded fantastic right now.

She was about to call for Tony, then stopped. She didn't want to bother him, although she knew very well that he _didn't mind_. What had changed inside of her?

Tony saw Pepper stand up and begin to feel her way around, and jumped up from the couch as well. "Hey, where are you going? Eager, are we?"

"Bed," Pepper mumbled. "I'm…tired."

"Well, here, let me hel-."

"No." The word was spoken cold and cruel and Pepper didn't recognize herself. "I need some time alone."

Tony hesitated before saying, "I don't think-."

Pepper cut him off again. "All I want – I just need some privacy, some alone time. I can get to the bedroom just fine, and I don't need help."

Tony was about to argue, but stopped himself to think it over. Maybe she needed to prove to herself that she _could_ get around on her own. Unknown to him, that was exactly what Pepper wanted, and needed, to do.

"Alright. Good night, Pepper." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. After getting over the unexpectedness, she returned the kiss with equal vigor. She felt that she owed him that much, after all her outbursts.

It took her a good ten minutes to find the bedroom, and another wasted ten minutes trying to change into fresh pajamas. She gave up, angrily pounding the bed with her fist, fighting back tears…again. What was wrong? She had never been this negatively affected by something, ever. It was understandable, however Pepper felt like she should get over this easier, like she should accept the help graciously like any other person would do. But it was hard to do so, and she couldn't place her finger on the reason why.

She tried to shut the light off, until she remembered that Jarvis could just as easily do it. She'd almost forgotten the AI, since he hadn't said much since they arrived. Her vision loss seemed to be affecting her more than she thought. "Jarvis? Lights out, please."

"Of course, Miss Potts." The room darkened in a flash. Pepper turned over, huddling in on herself. As she went to sleep, she couldn't help but think _what's wrong with me?_

_To be continued._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Pepper awoke to a knocking on the bedroom door. As she opened her eyes and saw the blackness, the same panic filled her once again until realization hit, and became a heavy feeling in her gut. Its terrible sensations made her want to escape to dreamland and ignore the persistent knocking.

"Pepper? Are you awake? It's ten-thirty," Tony asked through the door nervously. Pepper never slept in. She was always up at the crack of dawn, even on weekends. And today was a Friday.

She recognized Tony's voice, and remembered how she'd acted last night. The heaviness grew heavier with guilt.

"I'm awake. You can come in," she answered, yawning.

Tony sat beside her on the bed, and déjà vu filled him. He watched her eyes, unfocused as they were.

"I wish this hadn't had to happen to you, Pepper," he whispered, tracing her jaw line tenderly.

Uncertainty boiled deep within Pepper as she answered harshly, "Well, I can't help it!"

Tony scooted away from her. "What's -."

"Nothing's wrong!" she shouted, not thinking. She really wanted to go back to bed.

He stared at Pepper, perplexed. There was something he was missing, though he understood that this was certainly harder on her than it ever could be on him. Tony stayed silent for a while to allow her time to calm down.

"I just don't like seeing you unhappy." Tony stood up from the bed and was about to depart for the door before Pepper called him back.

"Tony, wait." She put her head in her hands and sighed. He positioned himself on the bed beside her for a second time. "I'm sorry, I am. I just don't know…it's hard to adjust. It's different and I don't like feeling this way."

Tony took hold of her chin, pulled her close and kissed her. "I know. It's okay."

Pepper shook her head. "No, it's not okay, Tony. This doesn't give me an excuse to yell like that."

"Sure it does," Tony reassured her. "Remember that time when I broke my thumb? I whined almost every day."

Pepper laughed, reminiscing. "That drove me crazy…but I love you anyway," she added.

"So you've got every right. Think of it as payback for all the times I've snapped at you." He gripped her shoulders and lowered her back into bed. "You look tired. Why don't you sleep again?"

"I guess so…but…"

"But what?" Tony questioned.

"What about work?" Pepper rebuked, pushing herself up to lean against the headboard.

"It's been one day and you're already worried about work? Jesus, Pepper, you haven't even been to a doctor yet!"

"The work needs to get done, Tony, and I'm currently not capable of doing it." Pepper crossed her arms, sighing.

"Hold on, what do you mean 'currently'?" Tony asked, confused.

"Currently. As in, when I learn to read brail. Then the documents can be processed that way, I can read them…and typing shouldn't be too hard, I've memorized the keys anyway -."

"You're really determined to work again, aren't you?" Tony interrupted. "If it were me in your place, I'd be so happy I didn't have to work." He said the last word with apparent revulsion, although Pepper couldn't see it.

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean the world stops," Pepper said.

"It could, you know," Tony told her in response. "I don't want you to feel pressured to get back to work, I mean…"

"You could always take over for me," she said, smiling sweetly.

Tony paused, his jaw slack, and after a moment of silence Pepper began to laugh.

"Then what would I pay you for?" was Tony's clever retort. Pepper shook her head, sighing through her laughter.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'what's mine is yours'? I have the feeling that you'd still give me money," Pepper responded softly, reaching out to find him.

Pepper clutched his arm and Tony grinned. "You felt right." He eased her back down. "Sleep. No buts."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She hit his backside as he got off the bed, and he spun around to Pepper's devious smirk.

"I take it you don't want to sleep." Tony crawled back into bed and lazed next to Pepper, brushing her hair away from her slender neck and kissing her there.

Then, he paused. "How in the world are we -."

"Talk me through it," Pepper whispered, sure of herself. She drew him closer. "I…still have my other senses, you know."

Tony genuinely hoped that maybe this would make her feel better.

* * *

><p>"Jarvis, what information do you have about AMD-related vision loss?" Tony inquired of the AI. He booted up the workshop's computers in one fluid motion and then twirled around in his desk chair in trepidation.<p>

"According to medical research, sir, total vision loss does not occur with AMD very often. Only two percent or less of patients has the chance of experiencing it. Wet AMD happens overnight," Jarvis answered promptly.

Tony chewed on the top of his stylus. "Can it be cured?"

"Not necessarily. If the blindness was caused by a defective portion of the eye then there is no real treatment."

"Hmm." Tony hesitated briefly. "Well, you said something or other about this being rare, right? What if it's only temporary?"

"I -." Jarvis was stopped short. "…am not sure, sir. However, when a person is diagnosed with any kind of AMD they are subject to a blind spot in a specific part of their vision. It's possible that Miss Potts could have a more wide-spread version than normal, but I highly doubt that -."

"Tell you what, you look into that," Tony barged in gruffly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "In the meantime, if it _is_ just a temporary thing…pull up possible cures for wet AMD on the screens."

"Yes, sir. Just be aware that before you get your mind set on something, it may not be able to work based on my findings," Jarvis admonished.

"Yeah, got it," Tony sighed. A list of possible treatments organized in alphabetical order flashed onto the multiple computer screens, and Tony took his time scrolling through them all.

"Laser treatments…surgery…" he mumbled wearily. He still didn't know what Pepper would think; he'd have to find a decent way to broach the dilemma after she finished her nap.

"Sir, I beg your pardon, but I do believe I need to take a scan of Miss Potts's eyes before I can continue," came Jarvis's brisk announcement.

Tony pushed away from the chair and bounded up the steps to the remainder of the mansion, slowing once he approached the bedroom door. He was struck with sudden surprise as Pepper swung open the door just as he raised his fist to knock.

"Did I scare you?" Pepper teased, stretching out her hand to grab hold of his shoulder lightly.

"How did you know I was here?" Tony asked, disregarding her previous account. She smiled.

"Well, you were breathing heavy, for one…which gave me the impression that I startled you," she explained. "Were you coming to check on me or did you need something else?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact…come with me." He linked her arm and descended back down the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked in an attempt to slow him.

"Workshop. Jarvis wants to scan your eyes."

She internally smacked her head. The same head that had been all out of whack as of late. _I never went back to my doctor. My _legal_ doctor._ "Tony, I don't think -."

"Nope, you're coming, because we need answers, don't you agree?" Tony punched in the code and the glass door swung open in silent greeting.

"What I _need_ is to schedule another appointment with my doctor, Tony," Pepper said indignantly. She couldn't just get up and walk away anymore.

"Relax, Jarvis knows what he's doing," Tony insisted, slackening his hold on Pepper and gently lowering her down into a chair. "Now sit still."

"Tony!" Pepper struggled to push up but Tony clamped his hands on her shoulders. "Can't I just go to my doctor, please?"

"After you tell me just what's wrong with Jarvis giving us significant information," he countered.

"I -." She blanked. "Oh, all right, fine. Can you take me to my doctor afterwards?"

Tony laughed. "Knew it."

"You haven't agreed to my requisite."

"Yeah, yeah. After this, I'll take you to your doctor," he drawled.

"And what, may I ask, is wrong with my doctor?"

He shrugged. "I'm not a patient person. Jarvis is accurate _and_ fast. Simple."

"Miss Potts, I'm going to have to ask you to sit still and open your eyes wide," Jarvis instructed as machines whirred.

Pepper sighed and stood up straight. "Give it a go, Jarvis."

After a minute, Jarvis spoke up again. "Scan complete."

"Excellent," Pepper said, cautiously yet efficiently dropping off the chair. "Grab your keys, Tony, and let's go. I'll call in to inform the ophthalmologist's office."

* * *

><p>"Closed? I don't believe this," Pepper muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Tony failed to bite back a smirk, and it partially relieved him to know Pepper couldn't see him doing so.<p>

"See? Now aren't you thankful that Jarvis was able to scan you instead?" he asked, still smirking.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face, Tony."

"How do you _know_?" Tony threw up his hands, startled. He was seriously starting to consider the phrase "eyes in the back of her head."

A smile played at the corner of her lips. "I've hung around you long enough to know these things."

"What, I'm that predictable?" he snickered, and plopped down beside her. He placed a bowl of leftover salad in her lap and Pepper welcomed it gladly. She hadn't eaten all day.

"Mm-hmm," she conceded through a forkful of lettuce.

Tony simply laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He sensed déjà vu from the other night, when they had been so comfortable and then Pepper ran from him.

_Why?_

He didn't dare ask. Not now. He wanted her to get used to this, feel a sense of security with him before he tried anything.

But the issue was pressing. In all the years Pepper had worked for him, and even for the months they'd been together, she had never acted like this. She was resolute, independent, and she was known for that.

Without her eyesight, Pepper was almost entirely dependent. Tony had no idea what she was feeling right now, and he wanted to know. He wanted to have a handle on what she was going through.

He realized that this was really the first time he'd ever had a hankering to understand a woman's true emotions. Not sexual desires; emotions.

It boggled him, but it really came down to Pepper. She was different. He cared about her immeasurably and he wanted to do something to regain her happiness…and perhaps her self-confidence.

Tony toyed with that last thought. Was her lack of sovereignty causing her to not feel as strong-willed as she normally was? Somehow Pepper didn't strike him as the type to feel self-conscious, but after losing vision, one of the five senses…well, anything was possible.

Pepper sat in silence next to Tony, wrapped up in her own thoughts. The helpless feeling was not going away, and that in itself troubled her. It seemed to encompass her in a deep void, with negative emotions swarming around her with no route of escape.

Her mind still had its rationality, for which she was extremely thankful. And her mind told her that if she could get used to this, try to push aside the fact that she couldn't see and prove to herself that she was still very much capable of doing things, then maybe the negative feelings would cease and she wouldn't feel this way.

In order to drive away the helplessness, however, she had to allow assistance. She had to let Tony in, which was difficult, primarily because she felt that she wasn't quite _ready_ to open up. To be honest, she really had no idea what she could say, and _how_ she could say it.

Pepper allowed her head to rest on Tony's shoulder and snuggled up against his neck. The countless thoughts and necessities were giving her a headache.

This was the most vulnerable she'd ever felt. All she wanted was her eyesight back, and with it, her regular lifestyle.

_To be continued._

**I still think it's moving along really slow, and I'm sorry if it's not picking up yet. I'm really trying to do that. But I've been getting some great compliments and reviews so I must be doing something right! Thank you very much, one and all.**

**Please review on your way out, thanks so much! :)  
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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The kennel owner was a stout, bubbly man, and bore a heavy Spanish accent. He greeted Tony and Pepper with a warm grin and a chuckle.

"Mr. Stark, so glad you could make it today," he addressed, clasping Tony's hand in a vise-like grip. Tony returned the handshake politely.

"My pleasure entirely, Felipe," Tony responded. The early morning sun bounced off the cheap linoleum tile, causing Tony to squint slightly.

"Ah, and this must be your girl! Pepper, is it?" Felipe gestured towards Pepper, and Tony nodded and brought her forward. Felipe took hold of her delicate hand in the same fashion as he did Tony's, but drew it up to his lips so he could kiss it gently.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Gonzales," Pepper said, and Tony noticed that she sounded almost strained, like she was trying to grasp an image of the man that she couldn't possess.

Pepper felt like she was talking to a ghost. Where was the face, the countenance that she could so easily decipher?

She felt Tony rest his hands on her shoulders and slowly began to calm.

"You have the dogs all ready to meet us?" Tony asked. Now that Pepper thought about it, she could detect a faint yapping coming from a different corridor.

"Follow me," Felipe insisted heartily, and Tony steered Pepper down the winding hall. She would have pushed him away, except she remembered her thought process last night – she needed to learn to accept the help.

The faint yapping grew into more prominent barking, and Pepper's excitement got the best of her. She had always been a bit of a dog person.

Felipe chuckled. "They constantly get excited when we have visitors." Pepper then heard a clanking of metal, and the door was opened into a new room, considerable cooler than the main room. This room smelled purely of dog, and it brought Pepper back to her childhood and Jesse, her cowardly yet loving and friendly German shepherd.

"Do you have any specific type of dog in mind, Miss Pepper?" shouted Felipe over the incessant barking. "AY! Quiet!" The barking ceased.

Pepper hesitated. "I – don't know. Does the type of dog matter?"

"Well, Retrievers and Shepherds are the easiest to train, so there are plenty of them available." Felipe paused. "You're welcome to walk around, stick your hand through the cage bars and pet some of them. They're all incredibly friendly."

Pepper tentatively extended her arms and inched towards a cage. Her hand abruptly came in contact with a soft, warm lump of fur. She rubbed her hand over what she assumed was the dog's ear and soon her hand was being smothered in rough licks. She laughed for what seemed like the first time in days.

Gently she pulled her hand away, but the dog gave a sharp 'woof' as if to demand back her full attention. Pepper scratched behind the dog's ears once more.

"Which one is this?" she inquired.

Felipe picked up the name tag and looked at it. "Says her name's Darcy. Not the most elegant or prettiest female out there, but I have to say from what I've seen with her training, very obedient and loyal."

"Friendly, too," Pepper mused, still petting the dog. _Darcy_. She turned the name over and over in her head. Not a name she would have chosen, but somehow it fit.

"I like this one." She wasn't normally one to make decisions on a whim like this, not to mention without meeting some of the other dogs, but she wanted this decision to be made without a second thought. From what Felipe had told her, Darcy fit the bill.

Tony thought so, too, and read over her papers very pleased. He wanted to be sure this dog would be able to escort Pepper around appropriately.

Tony signed in the necessary boxes while Pepper took the time to get further acquainted with Darcy. "Done," Tony said victoriously and shook Felipe's hand a final time.

"Call me if there are any problems, but I doubt that," Felipe added with a signature chuckle. "Thanks for stopping by!"

Tony loaded Darcy into the back seat of Rhodey's truck, which they had borrowed for this purpose. Pepper found her way into the front seat alone, which Tony saw as impressive. As Tony drove away from the kennel, Darcy came up and licked Pepper's ear.

"Five years old. A perfect age, I think," Pepper said while scratching under Darcy's chin.

Tony whistled. "Yep. Retrievers are great, too. Did you know she's got a bit of red in her coat? It makes me think of you, and your hair, you know?"

"Huh. It must be fate, then," Pepper decided, sitting back against the seat completely. "Thank you, Tony. I know that you would have been more than happy to lead me around everywhere, and I would have been happy too, I just -."

"I know, Pep," Tony reassured her honestly. "Plus, I don't have the best attention span. Maybe a dog is best."

Pepper grinned and placed her arm on his shoulder. She felt like an insect with only feelers for guidance.

Darcy ended up feeling right at home. She took her spot on an old quilt Pepper had insisted be laid out for her. The couple took their spot on the couch and Tony flicked on the TV, switching to the local news first as force of habit.

"…And today we've recently spotted Pepper Potts, once again personal assistant and girlfriend to Tony Stark, at a local guide dog kennel. Speculation has already arisen that Miss Potts may be blind – more on the subject later. For today's weather…"

Tony clicked the TV off instantaneously – partly, once again, force of habit, and partly to gauge Pepper's reaction.

Pepper set her mouth in a firm line. She had always known that the paparazzi were unavoidable, but she hadn't wanted them to find out this early. They were a force to be reckoned with, but she'd dealt with them numerous times before.

This wasn't anything that she couldn't handle.

When the press had "unconfirmed reports", though, they created the most rumors. Which was what Pepper had to evade at all costs.

Tony eyed her vigilant expression, not sure whether to say anything or to keep quiet. Finally Pepper sighed and spoke.

"This was inevitable."

Tony nodded. "Yep."

Pepper positioned her fist under her chin.

"I could, uh…schedule a press conference, if you wanted. Or send out…whatever it is that gets sent out," he added after deliberate thought. Tony absolutely loathed dealing with the press – besides the camera time, of course – but he certainly didn't want them hurting Pepper with false information.

"No," she sighed. "You don't have to do that. I might as well send out my own press release, coming from me. If you send it, I think that they might start to think you're trying to hide something."

"Yeah, that's probably best…can you do that on your own?" he asked.

"I can. You'd just have to bring up my e-mail, and put in the correct recipient." She rose from her seat and stretched.

"Got it," he said, rubbing his hands together while remembering what Jarvis had said about a very slight chance of treatment.

Pepper flopped back down on the couch. "Tony, I'm going stir crazy. I have to _do_ something."

"What's wrong with just sitting?" he asked, then added as an afterthought, "…next to me?" He kissed down her jaw line tenderly.

"Sitting's nice," she complied, angling her neck at his touch. "But I feel…useless."

That last comment piqued his interest and Tony stared at her, wondering if this was her complicated way of opening up to him. Thinking back, it took him an excessive amount of time to open up to anyone after his capture in Afghanistan, although he didn't quite know the relevancy of that situation. But he figured it was time for a little role-reversal – after all, he imagined that he could empathize very well with what she was feeling, the sort of hopelessness, after his experience.

"You're not _useless_," he treaded carefully. "Hey…listen, I was talking to Jarvis the other day and he said there might be something we're missing…and with that, something to treat you. And it got me thinking, and I was wondering…how would you feel about me trying to find something to help you see again? I'm sure I could come up with something, I -."

Tony never got around to finishing that sentence, as Pepper interrupted him immediately.

"You want my vision back," she said coldly. Tony did a double take.

"Well, yeah…don't you?"

"I knew this would change something. You don't want to be seen with me like this so you want to cure me." She didn't look at him.

"Pepper, you're missing my point entirely. I want you to be happy, and you're obviously not happy without your vision, and so I thought -."

"And so you thought! Did you ever think about me, Tony? What I need more than anything right now is the assurance that you still love me just as much as before!"

"I am thinking of you!" Tony shouted. "That's why I brought it up! I want you to be _happy_, Pepper! I want to you to be able to see again because I love you and I can see how much it's cutting you up inside. I'm just saying that, you know, I could _do_ something _for you_ to regain your vision!"

Pepper had found her way halfway up the stairs before she paused.

Tony noticed the stairs. "I could get an elevator going upstairs installed. If I can make this any easier for you, I will, Pepper."

"I don't want to feel…like I'm weighing you down. I don't want you to take pity on me! And sometimes I feel that way – like you're only doing all this because you take pity me!" Pepper replied, choked up. She continued the rest of the way up the stairs and into her bedroom before she could think to do anything else.

Tony sighed, cursing. "Pepper," he whispered. "I'm doing all of this because I love you. You're not "weighing me down" at all. I want you to be happy again, and I know I've said that a thousand times but it's true. Can't you understand that?"

_To be continued._

**Yes, they fought. But it won't last more than a night, don't worry. I'm aiming for a lot of Pepperony in the next chapter! I think there was a lot of broken-hearted!Pepperony in this chapter, or that's how I put it anyway.**

**Please review! Thank you very much. I definitely need all of your support, it really helps! :)  
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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tony found Pepper sitting quietly at the kitchen island when he came downstairs in the morning. Her eyes were red and puffy as she played with her fingers apprehensively.

"Good morning," she said, acknowledging his presence.

"Good morning," he replied. "Coffee?"

Pepper nodded and sniffed. To Tony it was the most heartbreaking sound in the world.

The cup was scraped across the counter, and Pepper raised it to her lips almost immediately. The silence was deafening. Uneasy, Tony scuffed back his chair and poured himself some Frosted Flakes.

A while later and Pepper sighed shakily. "I'm sorry, Tony."

"Hey, don't be. I'm the one who sprung all that on you. What you're going through is hard." Tony placed his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

She shook her head defiantly. "No, no, it's fine. I have to learn to cope. And I thought about what you said," she began tentatively. "If you're still willing…I mean I hate to ask, but…"

"It's perfectly okay," Tony responded. "I have some things in mind I could try and do."

"But I'd like to see my doctor again. My ophthalmologist," she told him, firm in her decision. She stretched slightly. "I'll have to call later."

They finished their breakfast in an uncomfortable silence. Tony was about to leave for the workshop but Pepper spoke up and stopped him.

"I just…want us to work," she whispered. Tony grasped her shoulders.

"We are working." He paused. "We've just been through a lot."

Pepper looked straight ahead as she couldn't see Tony directly. "You're right," she breathed, "it'll just make us stronger." She smiled wide and touched her hand to his lips before her own lips replaced her hand, and Tony realized he had missed the subtle weight, the feel of her.

After a moment Pepper rested her head on Tony's shoulder. "I don't know how I can think that this would change us," she laughed.

"Nope," Tony sighed as his arms encircled her tighter. "Not ever gonna change."

They swayed back and forth gently. Pepper then raised her head too soon for Tony's liking.

"I have to call my doctor and arrange and appointment."

"Hold on," Tony said suddenly. Pepper waited for him to continue. "You never want me to keep anything from you again, right? Well, I don't want you keeping anything from me either."

Pepper blanched. "What do you think I'm keeping from you?"

"Nothing major," he added quickly. "But I do want to know what's bothering you so much, why everything is…setting you off so easily. Out with it, Potts."

Pepper closed her eyes and exhaled.

Tony frowned worriedly, wondering if he'd scared her off by being so blunt. Truly understanding Pepper's emotions and feelings was relatively new to him. "It's okay if you don't want…"

"I hate not being in control," Pepper stated. Tony waited as patiently as he could for her to continue. "I'm used to doing everything by myself, for myself, and this whole 'dependent' thing makes me feel like…almost like my life is over."

She'd been unwilling to let on to this because she felt even more dependent by simply admitting it. But somehow she knew that, after a week of this, Tony would understand because he'd stuck by her for this long – both with her condition and as a couple in general. He loved her and he knew that she loved him just as much.

"So you miss being independent." Tony wrapped up her sentence the best he could. She nodded and bit her lip, a habit that intrigued him greatly.

"Then you don't want me to help fix your eyesight?" he asked, and Pepper immediately shook her head.

"Oh, no! I mean, I'd still love for you to do that for me, if it's no trouble. I guess I'll just have to get used to this co-dependent thing," she answered as she felt around for his hand. Tony entwined their hands and they both grinned.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you?" he asked a second time.

"No, it doesn't bother me at all. I miss it all though, you know? My job, running errands, getting around places…seeing things in general." Pepper sighed. "I suppose I'll get used to it in time. But I miss doing things."

"We can still do things," he encouraged, squeezing her hand. "I'll find things for us to do in the meantime."

To Tony's immense surprise, she didn't take notice to the 'in the meantime' tacked onto the end of his sentence. Instead, she smiled and thanked him genuinely.

* * *

><p>Their press release boomed on the presses everywhere, Tony concluded as he browsed the Internet after Pepper had returned from the doctor's. Turning back to Pepper's e-mail, he frowned at the 196 new messages pouring in quickly.<p>

"How do you manage this?" he asked incredulously. Pepper merely shrugged.

"Years of practice." He gave her the laptop so she could type out a suitable reply message. "Am I making mistakes?"

"Here and there. I'll just fix it after you're done," he said.

After the message was sent, she turned to him. "What exactly do you plan to do to help me see again?"

Tony smiled. "I told you, I have a few ideas. But I want to keep it a surprise."

"Oh, all right," Pepper muttered, rolling her eyes.

Tony laughed. "So what did your doctor, thing, say?"

Pepper snickered. "_Ophthalmologist_, Tony."

"And? What did he say?" he pressed.

"Basically what he told me before," she sighed. "My condition is rare, it's genetic, all of that. He did tell me I should look into…a physical therapy though." She said the word with a look of annoyance. "I can't see why I need it. I've gotten thus far without a person to guide me on how to find my way around, and it's not like I'm living on my own since I'm staying with you."

"Okay, don't get mad," Tony started, "but I think you should go. Ah! Wait!" He held up his hands as her mouth opened, about to speak. "Maybe it would benefit you, you never know."

"But you seem perfectly capable of leading me around. And I have Darcy now," Pepper protested, gesturing towards the sleeping dog.

"True, but when we're not around, then what will you do?"

"I can get by on my own."

"And risk, uh, tripping, falling, cracking your head open?" he challenged.

Pepper rubbed her temples. "Point taken. I still hate the concept though."

"Yeah, I figured," Tony said, smirking.

**A (really) shorter chapter than normal, but it'll do.**

**I have an idea for later chapters of this now…no way am I telling though. Besides, it's still in the embryonic stage, hehe. ;)**

**And I'm VERY sorry this is so late! Life is so stressful and hectic, and that makes my mind stressed and hectic, and poof, I can't write anything. Writer's Block made itself comfortable in me as well, but once I got some solid ideas for later chapters, that went away. It's all a self-confidence issue for me…**

**Thank you for reading, and please review!**

***And for the record, I've fixed a part in the second chapter, and a part in the third chapter – I've made it so that Pepper saw a doctor almost immediately after she realized she lost her vision. I realized I had forgotten that, and I think it's pretty crucial that she'd seen the doctor ASAP. I feel awful, I messed that up…as you can see, I am not medical savvy at all. I apologize for the error!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tony sat in the workshop, thinking long and hard about how he was going to go about this. There was so much room for failure that it would have driven him away, if Pepper wasn't so unhappy. He had to make this work.

"Jarvis, open up a new project file," he muttered while setting up the necessary equipment.

The concept was based around a tiny camera chip and a lens with a shutter speed that had a very high velocity, like that of a human eye. It would be placed as another lens in Pepper's retina, if done properly.

Tony pushed the negative notions out of his head as he continued working. He knew this was going to work almost exactly like a healthy eye, how the image would be sent to the brain for it to process, and then Pepper could see again.

The construction of the chip had to be very precise – it had to replace a rather vital neuron that would send the messages to the spinal cord and eventually the brain. That would take the longest time, he mused.

And how exactly was this going to be implanted in Pepper? It would be extremely dangerous, of that Tony was aware, and he clenched his teeth together and exhaled in anxiety. It had been a while since he'd worked on something so life-threatening, since the Mark I. And this was _Pepper's_ well-being on the line.

Tony wasn't sure how she'd react to being operated on – there really was no other terminology for it as Tony saw fit – save the presence of a legal doctor. Was he even licensed to do this?

_It's all up to Pepper, I guess._ He was definitely sure that this could work, but there was also the possible defeat lurking in the back of his mind.

But the more he worked on the chip, the more positive he became and the more he liked where this was going.

* * *

><p>Pepper was exceptionally glad to get out of the house and into fresh air for the first time in a few days. Tony offered to take her for a walk around the beach and she had accepted immediately. Darcy led her along, stalling only when Pepper herself stalled. She smiled. <em>Good dog.<em>

"It feels like that couch has become my home," she told Tony as they walked. "A comfy home, but still."

Tony laughed and swung their hands back and forth. "So you're going back to the office soon?"

Pepper nodded decisively. "I'd definitely like to, rather sooner than later. Oh, that reminds me – I got a call, a reminder actually, for the board meeting tomorrow and NO you are not going to skip it again," she said quickly, leaving no room for argument. Tony groaned audibly.

"But I need time to work on fixing your vision, you know," he responded with the truth of having to work on the mini camera. He really wanted to get it done relatively quickly.

"It's the least you could do for me," Pepper added, smirking because she knew she had him there.

"Yes, dear," he obliged through clenched teeth. Pepper snickered as the waves lashed against her ankles.

Tony stopped her for a moment to hook their hands together and just kiss her. It didn't matter that she couldn't see – they were still a couple, and that was all that mattered.

Many blissful moments of kisses later, Pepper pulled away to ask, "How does the water look today?"

That made Tony pause. "Uh…it's calm today," he started uncertainly, "And the water looks a little gray, but that's probably because of the time of day. But you would absolutely love it."

Tears pricked in her eyes as he kissed her temple, and she realized how much she missed just watching the ocean and getting lost in its vastness. She'd grown up by an ocean, so it was especially hard to say goodbye to that opportunity.

_No, stop,_ she told herself, and gathered all the positive thoughts she could. Tony could act as her eyes for now, until he finished with the project and she could see again. Pepper was trying not to get her hopes up too high, as it had a fair shot of failing, but it was arduous to avoid hope and excitement to any degree.

"How is 'fixing my vision' coming along?" Pepper asked. Tony smiled.

"It's coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself. I've…" he paused a bit sheepishly, "actually been multi-tasking and working out new upgrades to the suit. New weaponry, new agility, new tactics, all that good stuff that probably goes right over your head, am I right?"

Pepper laughed. "Yes, yes it does."

"I am far along with your…new way of seeing, though. There's stuff I need to work out, but other than that, everything's running smoothly," he said with surety, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and preceding to walk onward. Darcy, who had been lying leisurely in the cool sand, sprung to her feet almost immediately to walk in harmony with the two again.

_To be continued._

**There was foreshadowing here. See if you can find it. :)**

**Oh, and I have a plot line now. Hopefully you'll see a lot more updates! Sorry for the extreme shortness if you mind it - a filler chapter, if you will. Although my next chapters may be short too...who knows, hehe.  
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**Thank you all for reviewing, I appreciate each and every one.  
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